Did you know that Nintendo was releasing an iPhone and Android app? No? Well, that’s because Nintendo was relatively quiet about the whole thing. The app is now out, though, and it’s entirely quirky just like the company.

The Miitomo App

You might be able to guess from the name of the app that it will be based on the Mii world. This world was introduced with the Nintendo Wii and all of its Miis. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you kind of need to check out the Wii and see what Miis are all about. Essentially, Mii are small animations that are supposed to resemble players or users, and Miis can interact with other Miis to form a community.

The Miitomo app also includes some elements from Tomodachi Life (that strange toy that can connect to 3DS). Since Nintendo didn’t really announce the development of the Miitomo app, it’s interesting to note that the app has already picked up a few users. If you’re looking for something fun to play around with, here’s what you will find when you use the app.

Inside Miitomo

This app is free, so you can expect it to have some glitches, but the main theme remains the same as Mii World or Tomodachi Life. Miitomo pulls friends into the social app world from Facebook and Twitter, so you can connect with your real life friends in the Miitomo world. As for what actually happens when you’re using the app, well, that’s the curious part.

Miitomo asks you questions that you respond to. Things like, “what did you buy recently?” The idea is that your friends will see your responses and then reply to your replies in order to start a conversation - all done through avatars like only Nintendo can create. Nintendo created the app in order to get people to talk to each other. Plus, the Miis respond to answers in an animated fashion, which is kind of fun.

The Point

You could go the existential route and think of Nintendo’s latest app like a huge social experiment. One that attempts to get people to talk to each other and enjoy real conversations. You may have friends on Facebook, for example, that you never really talk to about the little things in life. But with Miitomo, those friends can find out more intimate details about you - like the things that you did last week or where you recently traveled to.

In a sense, Miitomo does bring people together if the app is used regularly. The questions are basic, but sometimes that’s enough to get you to start a good conversation with someone. The app is also fun because it lets you change the appearance of your Miis whenever you dress or look differently. All you have to do is snap a photo and your Mii will change. The whole concept of Miitomo is simply a fun one. But you do have to have social media accounts (Twitter and Facebook) in order to connect with people.

This app reminds me of Nintendo’s good old days when games and consoles were just fun. You might not see any of Nintendo’s popular characters in the Miitomo app, but you will have some fun playing around with it. Since the app is free, there are some glitchy parts, but that’s to be expected.